Last week, CSEM debuted the world’s first white solar modules with the promise of solar panels in any colour you wish. This new product has great potential to increase the deployment of solar. Why is that? Because it’ll look good.

While it may sound petty, many have been hesitant to switch to solar power because the modules stick out like a sore thumb on buildings. Now that CSEM has developed solar panels that will blend into a building’s structure with no visible cells or connections, architects can install solar panels into their design without having to compromise the aesthetic of their project.

Check out their video here (and marvel at how many coffees the voiceover guy must have had – gee he sounds excited!):

An engineering team in San Diego, California has developed a new nano-particle material that can absorb and convert 90% of the light it captures into heat. Not only can this material make for efficient solar thermal power, it can also withstand temperatures greater than 700 degrees Celsius. Read more here: New solar power material converts 90 percent of captured light into heat

Power and Water Corporation (PWC) is set to deploy renewable energy systems to over 30 communities in the Northern Territory. SETuP (Solar Energy Transformation Program) will develop solar power for use in remote communities. The aim is to implement systems that won’t affect remote energy users’ usual operations. For the full article, click here: Northern Territory Solar Energy Transformation Program

Sologic, a company based in Israel, has developed a series of solar panels in a tree branch formation with the aim of providing public areas with a place to recharge devices and surf the web using free solar energy. The aim of the eTree is to provide green energy and shade whilst providing a environmental awareness and a sense of community. Check out pictures and a full article on the eTree here: Sologic Unveils the First Ever Life-Sized eTree Charging Station

Analysts from Greenpeace have published findings showing that the lion’s share of carbon emission reductions since 2007 comes from the rise in renewable energy usage and energy efficiency. While critics claim that the drop in emissions comes from using more natural gas, the numbers tell a different story. For a full article on this, click here: Renewables & Energy Efficiency Responsible for 70% of Carbon Emission Drop Since 2007

A recent study of 55 nations, found that wealthy, developed countries have developed an 84% growth rate in using renewable energy sources from 2008 to 2013. Sounds good, right? On paper it sounds nice. Until you see that much poorer nations have experienced a 143% growth in the same time period!

Why is it that poorer nations are moving faster toward greener energy? Well, it’s economics. While the nations themselves are poor, investing in renewable energy is providing much cheaper power than their fossil fuel counterparts. Meanwhile, wealthier nations can afford to keep using fossil fuels, so there is less motivation to use more renewable sources. With that said, it shouldn’t be long before other energy sources are depleted and wealthier nations move forward as their poorer counterparts have done.

At a summit in Brussels, leaders of the EU endorsed a target date to cut greenhouse gases by at least 40% from 1990 levels by 2030. Based on current progress, the goal’s outlook is positive despite the fact that meeting the goal by the deadline will cost $48 billion a year to implement the increased deployment of solar and other green energy. This agreement now puts pressure on other nations such as the United States and China to respond. For a full article, click here:: EU Leaders Agree to Tough Carbon Regulations to Spur Renewable Energy Development and Fight Climate Change

LG Electronics USA displayed their new LG X ACe Module monocrystalline AC solar panel series last week at the Solar Power International Expo. LG’s newest solar power products are lighter weight, maximize AC-power output, and allow more flexibility for installation. For a full article on this, read here:: LG’s New AC Solar Module Demonstrated at SPI

Experts have estimated that by 2100, Earth’s population will reach up to 12 billion people. In 2014, we have enough trouble (not to mention wars) finding and extracting energy sources such as oil, coal, etc.

Keep in mind that we’re only at 7 billion people today and nearly 2 billion of them are living without electricity. Oil and coal are finite and with carbon emission policies spreading through most nations (apart from Abbott’s Australia), their use will become as fossilized as the fuel itself.

Renewable energy obviously has a huge part to play in powering the growing population.

But electrification is also key. Using renewable energy (and possibly nuclear fusion), electricity can replace liquid fuels from being used in lights, cooking, and, as the electric car has shown, transportation. It is imperative that we must continue to innovate to support the incoming crowd.

Scott Brusaw and the small American town of Sandpoint, Idaho have come together to form a potentially-revolutionary way to collect solar power. Using Scott’s design and know-how, Sandpoint will be the first town to use its roadways to collect solar power! A 20-year veteran of electrical engineering, Brusaw found that heated glass not only could collect solar energy but could still support even double the weight our roadways are currently designed for.